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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26022463">Deleted Scenes: The Adams Fosters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lifesizehysteria/pseuds/lifesizehysteria'>lifesizehysteria</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Fosters (TV 2013)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Deleted Scenes, F/F, adamsfoster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:27:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,100</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26022463</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lifesizehysteria/pseuds/lifesizehysteria</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of scenes that were deleted or rewritten from various fics during editing that I liked too much to discard. They are not final drafts and are as originally written except for a final edit for major grammar/spelling errors. A bit of context will be given at the beginning of each scene, including the name of the fic it was originally written for.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lena Adams Foster/Stef Adams Foster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Lena & Mariana (from Cancelled)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Context: Cut from Cancelled (ch. 17 of The Fosters Musings) when I decided I wanted Stef to threaten the kids to leave the house instead of them all deciding to avoid being home for the night. However, I particularly enjoyed this interaction between Lena and Mariana - one of my favorite parent/child relationships - and wasn’t willing to just delete it.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When she got home, the house was quiet. There were no backpacks or shoes by the front door, no tv or music playing, no bickering. The quiet was unsettling. Lena set down her keys and purse before heading to the kitchen. She scanned the room for signs of teenagers but there was no food laying around. Only Stef’s coffee mug from that morning was by the sink. The cash for the pizza was sitting on the table where she’d left it before going to work that morning. Just as she pulled out her phone to send inquiring texts to her kids, Mariana traipsed around the corner, head bowed and her fingers flying across her phone.</p><p>“Oh!” She stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide as she almost ran into Lena. “Hi, Mama.”</p><p>“Hey.” Lena set her phone down on the table, no longer needing it. Mariana was always a reliable source. “Where is everyone?”</p><p>Mariana pushed her phone into her back pocket. “Brandon went to Mike’s. Callie took Jude with her to spend the night with Sophia, and Jesús is crashing with someone from the wrestling team.” She ticked each one off on a finger as she spoke.</p><p>“So they’re all spending the night out?”</p><p>“Uh, <em>yeah</em>.” Mariana looked at Lena with more attitude than her petite body should have been able to hold.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because it’s your anniversary, remember?”</p><p>“Yes. I remember.” Lena’s tone sharpened as she couldn’t help but turn some of her daughter’s attitude back at her. “But Mom and I were just going out for dinner. We left pizza money for you guys.”</p><p>Mariana crossed her arms over her chest, her head cocked and her eyebrows arched high. “Yeah but eventually you’re going to come home and trust me. No one wants to be here for that.”</p><p>Lena pressed her lips into a tight line to disguise her shock at Mariana’s candor, her eyes slipping to the ground for a moment. She cleared her throat while her face grew warm. “Then why are <em>you</em> home?”</p><p>Mariana rolled her eyes as she plopped down on a stool at the table. “Because I couldn’t find somewhere to go before Brandon was ready to leave so they all just left me here.” She dropped her chin into her hands, a pout settling on her face.</p><p>Lena chuckled and shook her head. She leaned her elbows on the corner of the table beside her daughter. “Well, it looks like the universe is on your side tonight.”</p><p>Mariana’s head popped up. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“We had to cancel our dinner plans.”</p><p>“What? Why?”</p><p>“Mom has to work late. I’m not sure when she’ll even be home.”</p><p>“Well that sucks.”</p><p>Lena nodded in agreement, though she was surprised that her daughter sounded more offended than relieved.</p><p>“I mean, you guys only get one first anniversary and you waited so long to be able to get married. That’s so unfair.”</p><p>Lena smiled, touched by her daughter’s reaction. She squeezed Mariana’s shoulder in appreciation. “It is. But that’s life. And you know, when it comes down to it, a first anniversary is just that. A first. Which means that, hopefully, we’re going to have many more. So, if we have to have one not-so-memorable anniversary in order to have all the ones to come, I’ll take it.” Lena’s mood lifted as her own words helped her gain some perspective on the day. Mariana’s face brightened with a warm smile and a quiet moment passed between them.</p><p>A loud buzzing startled them both and Mariana pulled her phone out of her back pocket. Lena dropped her head down onto her arm atop the table, letting the moment go as her daughter buried her head in her phone.</p><p>“So.” Lena pushed herself up straight and rested her hands on the edge of the table. Her fingers tapped a slow rhythm against the wood. “Since it’s just you and me, how do you feel about pizza and a movie?”</p><p>“Huh?” Mariana looked up from her text. “Oh, yeah. Sure. But can we get gluten free?”</p><p>“When did you stop eating gluten?” Mariana was deep in her phone again and Lena changed her mind. She didn’t need to know. “You know what, gluten free’s fine.” She picked up her phone. “Why don’t you go pick a movie while I order?” Mariana ignored her, continuing to text until Lena cleared her throat.</p><p>“Wha- uh yeah. Right. A movie. I’ll go and pick one, sure.”</p><p>Lena tilted her head to the side, curious about the sudden change in demeanor. “Is everything okay?”</p><p>“What? Yeah, no. It’s fine.”</p><p>Lena raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, and Mariana deflated.</p><p>“It’s just. Emma texted me and her plans got canceled so she asked if I still wanted to spend the night. We have a STEM project to work on so it was kind of perfect timing but I told her I was busy so it’s fine.” Watching Mariana fight the look of disappointment on her face was like watching her own afternoon play out in front of her.</p><p>“You should go.”</p><p>“No, Mama. It’s fine. We’ll just work on our project during our free period on Monday. I don’t want to be the second one to ditch you for dinner tonight.”</p><p>“Ouch.” Lena grimaced, though a smile danced at the edges.</p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p>“It’s fine.” She waved away the apology and smiled at her daughter. “I’m fine. So go on. Go to Emma’s.”</p><p>“Really? You’re sure?” Even if she wasn’t, how could she say otherwise with Mariana practically vibrating with excitement?</p><p>“I’m sure. Now go before I change my mind and make you stay and watch a documentary with me.”</p><p>“Okay, okay! I’m going!” Mariana hugged Lena then rushed out of the room and up the stairs before Lena could blink. In the time it took Lena to get from the kitchen to the front door, she was running back down, a backpack slung over her shoulder.</p><p>“Do you need a ride?”</p><p>“No, I’ll walk. Thanks, Mama.” She was already halfway out the door.</p><p>“You’re welcome. I love you.”</p><p>“Love you, too.” The door was almost shut behind her when she popped her head back in. “Happy anniversary,” she said then slammed the door.</p><p>“Thanks,” Lena said to the empty room. She stood there for a moment. When was the last time she’d had the entire house to herself? Never, probably. The unfamiliar promise of solitude was exciting and as she tried to decide how to spend her time, she found herself overwhelmed with possibilities. Her initial impulse was to take the opportunity to clean in peace. It would be nice to mop the floors without someone immediately walking across them, just once. Or she could answer some work emails without interruption. But as she wandered into the kitchen the money on the counter caught her eye. If she had to spend her anniversary alone, shouldn’t she at least get to enjoy it?</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Stef & Lena (from The Night Before Christmas)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Context: Cut from the flashback in The Night Before Christmas because it wasn’t right for the mood of the story and was just too much for a flashback. I decided to take the main elements and add those into the conversation between Stef and Lena after the flashback but I really enjoyed the broodier mood of this original conversation, as well as Lena’s internal dialogue about the situation. I think it’s very telling about Lena and how she approached adoption.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Another silence fell between them, this time less comfortable. Lena could feel the anxious energy in her partner’s body and she knew what was coming when Stef cleared her throat.</p>
<p>“Have you…” Stef paused to wet her lips. “Have you given anymore thought to adoption?”</p>
<p>The way she tried to make the question nonchalant gave her away in an instant. Lena already knew Stef’s heart was tied to the twins. Not that hers wasn’t. She already loved them in a way she couldn’t describe. But she knew she had to be rational for both of them. If it had been possible, she was sure Stef would have adopted them on the spot that day in the police station. Her partner’s heart was big and although Stef’s capacity to love so fully was one of her greatest qualities, always leading with her heart often had her acting without regard to consequences.</p>
<p>During a too-long pause, Lena decided if she wanted to have this particular conversation. Mariana and Jesús had a mother who they knew and loved, even if right now she wasn’t fit to care for them. Maybe someday she would be. If not, would her own love be able to fill the void left by their mother? Would they ever be able to truly trust her, to feel safe with her? Could she be everything they needed or would she always just be a substitute? These were questions that ran on repeat in the background of her mind lately. So even though her heart ached at the thought of losing them, Lena wanted — <em>needed</em> to be sure that adoption was in the twins’ best interest, not just her own. As of that moment, she still wasn’t sure.</p>
<p>“What if Ana puts up a fight for custody?” she finally asked.</p>
<p>“Then we’ll fight back,” Stef said with conviction.</p>
<p>“It won’t be easy. The system wants to put kids back with their biological parents. They haven’t been with us that long. We won’t have much leverage.”</p>
<p>Stef scoffed. “You mean aside from the fact that their mother is a drug addict who continuously neglected her children so she could get high?”</p>
<p>Lena sighed. “And what if she gets clean?”</p>
<p>Stef snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”</p>
<p>“I’m serious, Stef. What if she gets clean and wants the twins back?”</p>
<p>“Love, it’s going to take a lot more than a 30 day token for her to prove she’s fit to be a parent. I mean, come on. Not only did she neglect them when she had them but how many times has she blown off visits since we started fostering them? Every time she does, it sends both of those kids into a tailspin for days. A judge isn’t just going to overlook that stuff.”</p>
<p>“I know.” A little exasperated, Lena sat up and faced her partner. “That’s not what I mean. I know that Ana’s going to have an uphill battle, even with the courts favoring biological parents. But if she gets clean, and can stay clean, don’t you think it’s better for them to go back to their mom?”</p>
<p>Stef looked at Lena, bewildered. “Absolutely not.”</p>
<p>“How can you be sure?”</p>
<p>“Because she’s had every chance to try and make up for the choices she’s made and she’s shit on every one of them—”</p>
<p>“Please don’t yell.” Lena cut her off, unwilling to let her partner’s frustrations make it out to the twins’ ears. The last thing they needed was for one or both of them to think they hated their mother.</p>
<p>“I’m not—” Stef stopped and closed her eyes, her jaw flexing as she reeled herself in after realizing that, in fact, she was. Her voice was down to a seething whisper when she started again. “There isn’t anything that can undo the damage she’s already done to those babies but she can’t even be bothered to try. You can’t possibly think the risk of them getting hurt again is worth it when the last good thing that woman did for them was give birth.”</p>
<p>Lena was taken aback by Stef’s harshness, her eyebrows arched high in surprise. “Of course not. I don’t ever want to see them hurt again.” She paused and searched for the right words. “But biology… it means something. It connects us.” When Stef opened her mouth to interrupt, Lena shook her head and powered forward. “I don’t mean emotionally. I mean in a real, physiological way. It’s linked to our survival. It’s powerful and instinctive and I don’t think that’s something we should just ignore because it’s convenient for us.”</p>
<p>Stef’s eyes narrowed. “So what? You think she’s naturally more fit to be their mother because she’s related to them? After everything she has put them through.” Her words were sharp and quiet but beneath the smoldering anger, Lena could see the hurt in her partner’s eyes.</p>
<p>“Honey—”</p>
<p>“Whose side are you even on here, Lena?”</p>
<p>“Ours. But I have to be on theirs, too.”</p>
<p>“Oh so I’m not on the twins’ side? That’s news to me,” Stef snapped, resorting to sarcasm to hide her hurt feelings.</p>
<p>“That’s not what I mean—” Lena closed her eyes and gave her head a little shake. Somehow, every time she tried to climb out of this hole she’d gotten herself into, she just kept digging it deeper. She took a breath to focus her thoughts and push away her frustration. When she spoke again, it was slowly and with intention. “I just don’t want to rush into a decision without considering all possibilities. I want to make sure that whatever decision we make, it’s the right one for them.”</p>
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